Bring all farmers under insurance scheme: CM to officials

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday told the Murshidabad district officials to reach the target of 100 per cent coverage of the state government's crop insurance scheme for farmers.

Banerjee at an administrative meeting here in the district, said that till now 2,36,000 people have been provided with cheques under the scheme and enrolled under the 'Sashtya Bima Yojana'.

The chief minister instructed officials to provide 100 per cent insurance coverage to all farmers who are facing crop losses under the 'Krishak Bandhu' scheme and ensure that in case of any mishap, farmers are provided a sum of Rs 2 lakh each on producing proof of the loss.

Banerjee asked co-operative banks to provide assistance for Kharif cultivation and said each farmer should be provided a minimum of Rs 5,000 as loan.

As of now, 2,66,000 farmers have been enrolled for the loan facility.

She instructed bank officials to speed up the loan process.

Banerjee instructed the Agricultural department to ensure that proposals to set up facilities like cold storages in the Kishan Mandis be accepted and businessmen be allowed to use the facility.

She stressed on the winter cultivation of onion along with commercial storage for onion to ensure supply during difficult times.

The chief minister asked the Fisheries department to see to it if Hilsa can be bred in the district and asked officials to take help from the Hilsa Conservation and Research Center in this regard.

The CM congratulated the district officials for their jobs in implementing several schemes and called Murshidabad a model district.